


I Hear Them Calling

by LikeYouAreInLove



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Were-Creatures, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 16:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10834635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LikeYouAreInLove/pseuds/LikeYouAreInLove
Summary: He wants this. He can’t deny that he’s somehow grown to want this. He’s been unable to run with anyone but his sisters for weeks, craved the unity of having a pack for weeks, felt crippled for weeks. He wants to feel whole. More than anything, he wants to not feel guilty at wanting to feel whole. His old pack hadn’t been perfect, not by far, but it had been his and it had been all he’d known. This is new, unfamiliar territory and there is something both thrilling and terrifying about that. He’s not sure whether the thrill outweighs the terror.





	I Hear Them Calling

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii, I'm back! Had no idea it had been so long since I last uploaded anything, holy shit. This is barely even a fic, let's be real, but it's the only thing I have finished right now. Hope you enjoy it! x

Louis glares at his feet, stepping over the bigger rocks, kicking the smaller into the back of Lottie’s legs, and sighs for what must be the fiftieth time in half as many minutes. Lottie spins around, about to open her mouth and surely lose her shit at Louis, but his mum turns around and gives them a look over her shoulder that has them both straightening their backs and snapping their mouths shut. Louis can’t help the glower that slips back onto his face as soon as she’s not looking – he wants to fucking go home.

It wasn’t his idea to spend his Friday night tromping through the woods to get to some secret clearing with his little sisters and mother. He was going to spend it at a party with some guys he met hanging around town – this kid named Niall who bounces around the place like someone has put him on fast forward, this scrawny, perpetually grumpy cat-meets-teen named Zayn who is somehow the leader despite being at least one third of the speed and another named Liam who, as far as Louis can understand, just kind of stands around looking intimidating until you speak to him and it becomes obvious that he’s one of the most caring-yet-gullible people alive– but instead he’s trailing behind his family as they make their way towards the designated meeting place of the Manchester pack. 

Of werewolves, that is. Pack of werewolves.

Louis glances up at the full moon as they push through the last bushes into the clearing, can feel it’s pull, but it’s not yet midnight, probably only around 10, so it isn’t nearly as strong as it could be. Will be. He doesn’t plan on shifting tonight, even if his mum had been all frowns when he said that earlier, because he doesn’t even want to fucking be here let alone actually run with these people. He’s never denied what he is, revels in it even, loved being part of his old pack. Hell, he was in charge of it half the time. But he had that stolen from him because of a shit divorce and a bunch of bitter Weres that aren’t okay with his mother forswearing his piece of shit father and took his side, making life difficult when most of your pack won’t stop growling around his family. 

So, yeah, he lost his pack and it felt like his lungs had been ripped from his chest but now…his family is enough. However, his mum is adamant that they answer the call of the pack master, that they introduce themselves to the existing pack, the largest Louis’s ever heard of, standing at 52 wolves, and assimilate with them as initiates. His chest burns with the thought of just hopping in with another pack when he still feels the ache of having to leave his old one.

And, yeah, Louis understands that Weres are pack creatures and being without one is like being without a leg but it hasn’t even been two fucking weeks and Louis is just…already beyond done with all of this shit. And he knows his posture, his face, his whole goddamn aura screams that. If anything, he probably gets gloomier when they break through the trees and he can feel the amount of energy in the air even before he looks at the people gathered. He drops his eyes back to the group before him, idly taking account of the number of heads – 52, looks like the gang’s all here – but can’t bring himself to look at any faces, skimming over all of them as fast as his eyes can go.

Fizz steps back when she takes in the crowd, eyes wide as she grips Louis’s arm in her hands, letting out a sharp breath, “There are a lot of them – way more than the pack back home.” She whispers under her breath, low enough that the strangers won’t be able to hear her, even with their heightened senses, “I don’t know if this is a good idea, Lou, if it goes badly, if it comes to a fight…I don’t think even you could take some of these guys. Not in these numbers. They must be so strong.”

Louis rolls his eyes but shifts his position so he’s standing mostly in front of her, casual enough but definitely defensive. Lottie takes a step back, eyes jutting wider before she gets a grip and regains that step, steeling herself. The twins just about trip over in their haste to press to his sides when a several people take note of their arrival and let out howls to alert everyone. He straightens up, levels his chin, tries to appear bigger than he is, knowing how important first impressions are. Even if his sisters aren’t making the best of ones, he will not appear weak in front of the pack his mother intends for them to join.

The crowd moves forward as unit and his mother doesn’t waver, a big smile splitting her face as she takes the hand of the flanked pack master, a woman named Anne, in both of hers, “So lovely to see you again.” She glances at the group, “I hope we aren’t late.”

Anne waves her off, shaking Jay’s hand enthusiastically, “No, no, you’re perfectly on time! I’m so glad you decided to come, I feel incredibly honoured to have such a fine family wish to join my little old pack.” Her voice is warm like honey, her eyes kind. Louis immediately knows how such a large number of Weres have gathered without any conflict, without any casualties – it’s definitely all her. She has a calming influence that Louis can feel with just a few words. It settles something in his chest, even though he doesn’t want it to. He doesn’t want to be put at ease – he wants to have his doubts validated, for god’s sake.

It has the same effect on his sisters – Lottie’s shoulders drop from around her ears, Fizz steps out from around him, standing at his left instead, and the twins rush to his mother’s side, already turning the charm on for the new pack master, dropping compliments about her hair and eyes and face in rapid succession. Jay ends up having to clamp a hand around each of their mouths when they start in on their questions on how she became pack master and do they get to shift tonight and how come there are so many Weres and why does the pack only meet in the woods when it’s past their bed time.

Jay lets out a nervous chuckle, pulling them closer, “Sorry, they’re only eleven, they get curious.”

Anne laughs, “It’s okay, they’ll get along just fine with the other pups. Although, I am so impressed that you two are already shifting at just eleven!” She drops to a squat so she’s smaller than them, obviously to put them at ease, and leans in as if telling them a secret even though everyone here can hear her very, very clearly, “You know, I think that’s the youngest out of all the wolves here.”

Instead of them getting excited like Anne is surely expecting, they turn to Louis with a glare, Jay wincing, “They would have been in our old pack too but Louis had them beat by four years. Just about had a heart attack when I heard banging in my little boy’s room one night. I went in there to do what I needed to do to protect him but all I found was a little wolf pup where my seven-year-old should be. He cried for six hours.” She teases, reaching back to try to pinch at Louis’s cheeks, which he barely manages to disgruntledly dodge, Fizz snickering behind her hand when his face heats up.

It’s just about the only baby story his mum shares and it never ceases to make Louis grimace. Anne is laughing though, a hand on Jay’s shoulder as she straightens up and smiles at Louis, “Don’t worry, my boy shifted when he was twelve – we hadn’t actually had the talk yet and he cried for days.”

Someone steps out from the crowd, ruffling at his curly hair, mostly still encased in shadow, “You know, you don’t actually have to tell that story to every initiate, mum. At least wait until they’re actually pledged like you do with the story of Gemma’s first shift.” The guy says, smile big and wide when the moonlight shifts over the lower half of his face, “Always out to embarrass me, this one.” 

His mother wraps her arms around his waist and he’s so clearly her pride and joy that it makes Louis’s chest feel warm, her face lighting up, “Oh sweetie, I’m waiting until they’re initiated to tell them about the time you accidentally shifted at school, shredded your clothes and had to run home naked.” 

The guy laughs, this full belly laugh, his head tilting forward, “Glad we’re waiting to tell them that.” It’s so sarcastic that it almost comes across as sincere, muffled since his face is pressed to the top of his mother’s head and when he looks up, Louis gets his first clear look at the guy and his breath hitches in his throat a bit, easily covered up by clearing his throat.

The guy is beautiful – all pink lips and dimples and greengreengreen eyes. He’s broad shouldered in a way Louis isn’t, obviously athletic and stands in a way that’s opposite to Louis – like he’s trying to take up as little room as possible while Louis tries to take up more than he can. The guy’s eyes meet his as they sweep over Louis’s family and they falter on him. His gaze slides over Louis’s body before there’s more eye contact and the guy looks bashful at being caught staring but then he’s smiling this unbelievably charming smile that is just for Louis, that makes Louis’s stomach flip in the best way and makes his heart beat faster and makes him feel about a thousand times steadier in his own skin and. What the fuck.

If this was any other situation, if Louis was doing anything other than joining a new fucking pack, he’d grin back, maybe give the guy an obvious once over without getting embarrassed at being found out, and would introduce himself in the flirtiest way he could think of on such short notice. As it is, he gives the guy a close-lipped smile and looks to the dude’s mother instead – apparently his new pack master despite no conversation or ceremony having taken place as of yet – who is moving down the line of his sisters, introducing herself to them one by one, smile now somehow a shadow of her son’s.

When she gets to Louis, her eyes have lost none of their sparkle yet they seem less brilliant after seeing green, a train of thought Louis cannot afford to follow, and her smile turns a bit cheeky, “Saving the cutest for last.” She teases, Phoebe squawking indignantly from in front, Daisy barely managing to clamp a hand over her mouth before the ‘how very dare you’ comes out. Anne laughs, sending the twins a wink over her shoulder before turning back to Louis and offering a hand, “Hello Louis, I’m Anne. It’s lovely to meet you though I’m sure this isn’t the most ideal situation for you.”

Louis blinks a bit, taken by surprise, but grasps her hand, shocked at how strong it is when she seems so soft, “Hi.” He barely manages to get that out, brain unwilling to cooperate with him for whatever reason, dislodging his verbal filter, “Can’t say I’m exactly thrilled to be here but I am really impressed with how you manage to have such a large pack. You’re obviously an incredibly adept leader.”

It’s probably rude to admit his disinterest. It’s definitely rude, if the way his mother glares at him is any indication. He opens his mouth to say something, to apologise or explain, anything, but Anne is laughing, clapping her other hand over where theirs are still intertwined, “Thank you, I certainly try. And I appreciate your honesty, Louis. I’d hate it if you tried to say you were happy to be here when you’re so obviously still hurting after losing your previous pack. In fact, I’d be concerned if you weren’t upset at the prospect of having to join another because it would mean you are disloyal to your old ties. You’re very clearly not, which is wonderful. If I can manage to lure you to the dark side, I’m sure you’d make an excellent wolf for our little family.”

Louis flushes a little at the praise, unsure how to respond to that, unsure how to feel about the ‘luring’ part. He feels disloyal just being here but he supposes that does come from a place of loyalty to his previous pack. His brows furrow minutely but he laughs a bit airily, scratching at his neck, “You guys seem pretty tame here so I’m not so sure ‘dark side’ is the right description.” He’s surprised to find his tone teasing, his shoulders relaxing enough that he spares a second to be concerned about growing comfortable, but then Anne is laughing and swatting at the hand she’s still got a hold of.

“You just haven’t seen us phase yet, sweetie.” She says dismissively, eyes glinting with mischief, “And you’re in luck because it’s about that time. I bet you’ve never run with more than 50 wolves by your side.”

Louis can’t deny the way his skin tingles at the thought. There is power in numbers and he’s only ever run with maybe 15 at a time and that had felt like he was running with lightning in his veins so he can only imagine how he’d feel with 50. Like their footfalls could shake mountains or flatten valleys. 

The atmosphere has changed, some switch flicking and suddenly there is a heady hum of electricity in the air, crackling and thriving, the group rolling like a wave over an ocean. It’s an anxious kind of energy but not worrisome – more impatient. Like the urge to run is overpowering. It’s infectious, this kind of energy, and Louis wasn’t expecting to want to join in so badly but it feels like an itch that won’t be sated unless it’s scratched. Hard. He can see his sisters begin to fidget from the corner of his eye, obviously feeling their bones want to shift and rearrange, less capable of controlling themselves than Louis, especially when this fierce vigour washes over the crowd. 

He keeps his eyes on Anne’s, watching her watch him process it, seeing the goading in them. She grins, teeth pointier than they were seconds ago, “What do you say, Louis? I’ve heard rumours that you are a strong wolf – a fast wolf – long before you came here. Care to prove it?” She’s not bothering to try to hide the challenge, stepping forward so that their hands are pressed tight between their ribs, “Care to earn your place with us? To show us that you deserve to be in our ranks?”

Louis can’t keep the cocky smile from his face, can feel his eyes already flicking between his usual blue and the pulsing, reflective violet they take on when he shifts, “I think a more appropriate question would be whether you can prove that I’ll want a place with you, a place in your ranks.” There are certain packs where speaking to a pack master in this manner would mean death but Louis would not join them, would not have anything to do with them. So he’s pleased to hear the crowd snicker, obviously listening in on the conversation, pleased see Anne’s smile go just as smug as his, her face certain in its confidence.

“Try to keep up.”

The words barely out of her mouth before she’s darted away, clearing the forest line in a second, her jacket fluttering to the ground as the only sign of which direction she went. Louis catches her son’s eyes on him, watches the way he raises an eyebrow, obviously silently questioning what Louis’s going to do as the rest of the pack lope after their leader. His family immediately disappears within the crowd, already assimilated so easily, and Louis hesitates a second. 

He wants this. He can’t deny that he’s somehow grown to want this. He’s been unable to run with anyone but his sisters for weeks, craved the unity of having a pack for weeks, felt crippled for weeks. He wants to feel whole. More than anything, he wants to not feel guilty at wanting to feel whole. His old pack hadn’t been perfect, not by far, but it had been his and it had been all he’d known. This is new, unfamiliar territory and there is something both thrilling and terrifying about that. He’s not sure whether the thrill outweighs the terror.

But then the guy is giving Louis another soft smile, something for him, and he wants to find out. He’s is opening his mouth and saying ‘you ready?’ in a smooth, deep voice and Louis wants to find out. There are howls ripping into the air, calls of harmony, of family, of strength, and Louis wants to find out. Shrugging off his jacket, Louis grins back before sprinting in the direction of the wolves that call to him, feeling his skin tingle, the beautiful boy right at his heels. 

He’s going to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed that tiny little itty bit of a fic. Not a heap of H/L interaction but I plan to expand this AU because I like writing the more 'traditional' werewolf trope atm. This tidbit is mostly to get back in the swing of actually finishing something. I have sosososososo many fics that I've been working on that are at varying degrees of progress so i'm just trying to do something to get used to this again. 
> 
> Which is also why I'm now accepting prompts! They can be anything at this point, I'm pretty open to most kinds as long as it's under the H/L pairing. Leave a comment with a prompt and I'll let you know whether it's something I'm interested in doing and if/when I get around to finishing it, I'll gift the fic to you. 
> 
> Thank you for reading xx


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